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Answers aren't meant to answer posts, but provide solutions. Working through any of the {First Posts, Late Answers, Low Quality Posts} queues makes you realize random surfers not familiar with the Stack Exchange model don't get this (or ignore it once they already hit the edit box and started typing anyway), and reviewers most frequent job is to flag as "Not an answer" (at least on some sites).

@Bohemian already proposed renaming this headline in Change "Your Answer" to "Your Answer to this Question" -- but I would even go further and completely removing the wording "Answer", which will also mitigate "I'm having this problem, too!!!" non-answerssolutions.

What about naming this box "Your Solution"?

Screenshot

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  • 3
    So we should also rename Q&A to Q&S, globally.
    – Shadow The Spring Wizard
    May 25, 2015 at 10:33
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    I don't see that working on the language sites or the religion sites. Won't work on history related sites either, and quite a few others.
    – Mat
    May 25, 2015 at 10:35
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    I am not sure I like "solution", since it implies it is the answerer's responsibility to get a perfect, working solution (piece of code, on Stack Overflow) for the OP, who in turn can sit back and wait for his/her solution to be delivered. Many answers are helpful, but partial.
    – halfer
    May 25, 2015 at 12:26
  • I don't see this as being suitable for any SE sites - questions need answers - is it possible that you are seeing any response qualifying as an answer and that is why you are suggesting a change?
    – PolyGeo
    May 25, 2015 at 13:10
  • @PolyGeo Definitely not; the thing often observed is "answer" being missunderstood (not in the way Stack Exchange defines them, as any "reply"). This was a proposal to find a wording that is less ambiguous, but obviously I did not realize it does not fit a lot of Stack Exchange sites very well (which I do not use). Actually I could've realized this while posting this proposal on Meta Stack Exchange, where answers aren't necessarily solutions. On the sites I'm using, an answer is pretty much equivalent to a solution, that's why I came up with that. halfer's objection seems valid, too.
    – Jens Erat
    May 25, 2015 at 13:29
  • Anyway, I agree on this is better [status-declined] for the reasons already discussed.
    – Jens Erat
    May 25, 2015 at 13:34

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But what about sites where 'answers' aren't 'solutions' (like Code Review or language sites)?? The word 'answer' is perfect, in my opinion.

I think if this feature was to be implemented, it should only be enabled per-site. Sites that might (though I still kind of doubt it) benefit from this would be:

  • Stack Overflow
  • Super User

And that's it (?) My point is that not many sites would benefit from this

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  • This seems a very legit point. I'd guess most technical sites (which are the only ones I'm using) would fit the "solution" model, but I totally agree for others.
    – Jens Erat
    May 25, 2015 at 10:44
  • @JensErat Exactly - but is there really any point changing something for 5, maybe 10 sites?
    – ᔕᖺᘎᕊ
    May 25, 2015 at 10:46
  • Without considering the value of my proposal, but considering "changing for a minority of sites": I'd guess this would mean changing for 5 or 10 sites, which have the vast majority of traffic/visitors.
    – Jens Erat
    May 25, 2015 at 10:52

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